📍9 Best Evans Head Beaches For Swimming, Surfing & Sightseeing. (2024.)
WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE BEST EVANS HEAD BEACHES ARE?
Evans Head is a stunning seaside town located halfway between Ballina and Yamba. It’s a place that often gets overlooked because it resides in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales where there is no shortage of spectacular coastline.
And if you’re looking for beaches, you’re absolutely spoilt for choice. Because of several lying within the township, a coastal nature reserve and a national park on either side of it, I’ve discovered from my two trips there that the Evans Head beaches are magnificent for swimming, surfing and sightseeing.
👉 My top 3 picks for the best beaches in Evans Head:
- Best Ocean-Facing Beach: Shark Bay.
- Best Family Beach: Watsons Beach.
- Best Isolated Beach: New Zealand Beach.
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Best Ocean-Facing Beaches In Evans Head.
1. Evans Head Main Beach.
Main Beach is Evans Head’s main seaside swimming haunt. Nestled between several of the town’s other notable attractions, such as the Recreation Reserve and the South Break Wall, this stunning beach is the go-to for ocean fun.
That’s because it’s the only place seasonally patrolled by lifeguards, ensuring those who stay between the red and yellow flags have the safest seaside experience. For those who enjoy surfing, big southeast swells provide fantastic waves for experienced riders, while those new to the activity can hang around the break wall where it’s more protected, offering small waves for you to hone your craft.
- Access: Conventional vehicle access to the Evans Head Recreation Reserve Car Park.
- Facilities: Cafe, park, sheltered picnic tables, BBQ facilities, skate park, toilets, outdoor showers.
Pros.
- Only lifeguard patrolled beach in Evans Head.
- Good for inexperienced surfers.
- Within walking distance of several of the town’s other attractions.
- North Break Wall.
- Evans Head Recreation Reserve & Watsons Bay.
- Cafe with lookout nearby.
Cons.
- None.
2. Shark Bay.
If you’re looking for Evans Head’s most beautiful beach, I would have to say I think Shark Bay takes the cake. Despite its ominous name, this gorgeous beach is not nearly as scary and dangerous as it sounds.
As a matter of fact, it’s one of the town’s most popular beaches to swim and surf at, and nestled between the stunning South Break Wall, which has gorgeous views of the lovely place and the rocky shoreline at the base of the spectacular Razorback Lookout, it’s also its smallest. Furthermore, it’s set back further from the coastline than the surrounding area, offering a breathtaking semi-secluded experience that offers natural protection from the ocean.
That also means that in addition to being a favourite ocean-facing swimming beach, it’s a beloved hot spot for board riders where the rising tides that arrive in the early morning generate fantastic swells as the waves round the headland before the headland, making it a favourite for all comers.
- Access: Conventional vehicle access to Shark Bay car park.
- Facilities: Benches, sheltered picnic tables, BBQ facilities.
Pros.
- Prettiest beach in town.
- Lies next to the South Break Wall.
- Wheelchair friendly ramp onto the beach, picnic area, and break wall.
Cons.
- Small.
- Not patrolled.
3. Airforce Beach.
What’s fantastic about the beaches at Evans Head is that there is something for everyone to enjoy, and one prime piece of oceanside real estate that ticks the boxes for two kinds of beachgoers is Air Force Beach.
Named as a nod to the town’s military aviation heritage, this stunning stretch of sand is an excellent escape for those with a 4WD and who love isolated beach adventures. Accessible from Terrace Street, drivers can venture 4.6km up the pristine coastline to within close vicinity of Coffee Rocks (no closer than 100m) and enjoy an authentic and uninhibited coastal experience.
Best of all, unlike many beaches that allow folks the unique pleasure of driving along the sand, there are no permits or fees you need to pay before accessing this one. Just rock up and ride. But, of course, vehicles have to be registered, all Australian Road Rules apply, and there is a maximum travelling speed of 30km/h, which ensures a safe outing for everyone using the beach.
As if Air Force Beach couldn’t offer a sweeter deal, the 1.3km stretch north of the entry point is also a designated off-leash dog area, meaning you can have a typical beach outing or 4WD adventure with your canine companion by your side.
- Access: Conventional vehicle access
Pros.
- 4WD beach for 4.6km north of the entry point.
- No permits required for beach driving.
- Off-leash dog area for 1.3km north of the 4WD entry point.
Cons.
- Unpatrolled.
Best Sheltered Evans Head Beaches For Young Children.
4. Watsons Beach.
The best Evans Head beach for families with kids is, no doubt, Watsons Bay. Nestled within the beautiful Evans Head Recreation Reserve, this small but picturesque bay sits partially enclosed by a rock wall on the Evans River’s northern banks providing families with a lovely safe haven for their children to enjoy, thanks to its shallow and calm waters. The bay also features a small beach, perfect for building sand castles and rocks within the water, which makes it a fantastic spot for them to give snorkelling a go.
However, something important to note about this stunning place is that the bay is heavily tide-dependent. When I visited the first time, it was entirely devoid of water, so timing your visit around high tide is essential for the best swimming experience.
- Access: Conventional vehicle access to the Evans Head Recreation Reserve Car Park.
- Facilities: Park, sheltered picnic tables, BBQ facilities, skate park, toilets, outdoor showers.
Pros.
- Safe swimming area.
- Great for kids.
- Part of the Evans Head Recreation Park.
- Short distance from the Evans Head Break Wall.
Cons.
- Very tidal!
- Unpatrolled
5. Evans Head River Beach.
Over on the southern banks of the Evans River, opposite Watsons Bay, lies Evans Head River Beach. This lesser-known spot is a fantastic option for families, particularly those with young children. The waters here are typically calmer than the town’s ocean-facing beaches, creating a safe and enjoyable environment for kids to frolic around in.
What’s also great about it is that access to it is also from the Shark Bay car park, making transitioning from that beautiful beach to this one or vise verse easy if you find either one of these not to your tastes.
- Access: Conventional vehicle access to Shark Bay car park.
- Facilities: Benches, sheltered picnic tables, BBQ facilities.
Pros.
- Calmer water.
Cons.
- Not Patrolled.
Best Secret Beaches In Evans Head.
Dirawong Reserve.
Evans Head is blessed with natural beauty. One of the most magnificent places to discover is Dirawong Reserve, nestled along the coast just south of Razorback Lookout. This breathtaking place of cultural significance encompasses an area of 300 hectares and boasts a selection of stunning trails that lead to stunning lookouts and unspoilt beaches, perfect for those looking for somewhere that feels like they’re a thousand miles away.
The tracks through the reserve start from two places: the end of Anson Avenue and Chinamans Beach Road.
- Access: Conventional vehicle access to car parks at the end of Anson Avenue and Chinamans Beach Road.
- Facilities: Toilets, picnic areas and lookout at the Chinamans Beach Road car park.
6. Chinamans Beach.
At about a 100m walk from a car park along a boardwalk from the car park, Chinamans Beach is Dirawong Reserve’s most easily accessible beach. Encompassing the stretch from the end of the small Red Head Beach near Joggly Point in the north to the breathtaking Bluff that separates it from the neighbouring New Zealand Beach in the south, this beautiful place is an excellent location to enjoy a scenic walk along the pristine shoreline.
While it’s a gorgeous place to explore, be cautious about swimming here as the isolated nature of the beach, its year-round unpatrolled status and notable rips mean it doesn’t offer the safest ocean-bathing experience, especially for those who don’t know how to read the sea for potential dangers.
As for surfers, they’re blessed with having good breaks, which are the best in summer when the northerly swells create right-hand waves over the central reef.
Pros.
- Isolated & peaceful.
- Short distance to reach and easily accessible.
- Good for surfing.
Cons.
- Not patrolled, and not the best for swimming.
7. New Zealand Beach.
For those looking to spend a couple of hours exploring the spectacular beaches of Dirawong Reserve, the full Beach Walk to the end of New Zealand Beach is a stunning and immersive way to reconnect with nature.
Starting at Chinamans Beach, the trail follows the shoreline past the picturesque eroded Bluff headland and continues straight onto New Zealand Beach. Navigating this stretch of the track is best done at low tide, as when it is at its highest, the water covers the beach, and access often involves traversing the slippery rock ledges. At the other end, the beach is enclosed by the spectacular Goanna Headland/Snapper Point, which has magnificent coastal cliffs and the southern coastline.
While this is a breathtaking walk, the stunning seascapes are only part of the reason this is my favourite beach in Evans Head. The other is because this is the closest I’ve ever come to encountering wild dolphins whilst observing them from the mainland, thanks to a friendly surfer notifying me. At first, the pod was frolicking in the ocean not too far away, which was a joy to see, but then they started surfing the waves in and launching out of them so close to shore that I was genuinely concerned they might accidentally beach themselves.
And they did this repeatedly. It was an extraordinary experience.
Not only that, on Goanna Headland, I also saw numerous kangaroos and wallbies bounding around, making for an unforgettable experience, both with the landscape and the wildlife that call these spectacular places their home.
Note: You can also see where the RAAF use the headland as a bombing training range just before Gianna Headland where the terrain is flatter, which is sad but also fascinating. The Ridge Track also walks past it, where you can see more of the valleys the impact craters have created, but this trail is overall not very interesting or scenic.
Pros.
- Great for long walks on the beach.
- Good chance of seeing wildlife such as dolphins and kangaroos.
Cons.
- Unpatrolled.
- Tidal access. Check before going. If its high-tide when you want to do the trail and you don’t want to navigate the rock ledges, the Ridge Track provides alternative access, but that trail isn’t as good in my opinion.
8. Broadwater Beach.
Broadwater National Park.
What makes Evans Head such a hidden gem in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales is the two national parks its surrounded by. On the northern side is the breathtaking Broadwater National Park.
This stunning place is part of the continuous stretch of beach that extends the massive 30km distance from the South Ballina Break Wall to the Evans Head North Break Wall. In the midst of it is 9.5km of pristine, untouched shoreline flanked by towering, bright white sand dunes thought to be part of an older Pleistocene beach-barrier system estimated to be about 120,000 years old when the ocean was higher than it is today, making you feel as though you’ve stepped back into a different geological era.
There are two areas to access this stunning beach. The northernmost point is from the Broadwater Picnic Area at the end of Finns Road, which has picnic tables for somewhere to sit while refuelling the body and from a small car park on Broadwater Beach Road. While the beach is only a short distance from both these places, I highly recommend that if you only have time for one, do the latter, as it is much more picturesque.
However, both involve navigating steep, soft sand dunes to get down to sea level, but it’s well worth it as it is a stunning place dotted with beautiful coffee-coloured rocks, perfect for enjoying long scenic strolls along the beach.
Note: Just around the corner from the Broadwater Beach Road access is the Broadwater Beach Lookout at the end of Sea View Crescent Road, which is a beautiful spot to look out across the coastal landscape and watch the sunrise from the car.
- Access: Conventional vehicle access to the Broadwater Beach Road and Broadwater Picnic Area car parks.
- Facilities: Toilets and picnic tables at Broadwater Picnic Area.
Pros.
- Isolated & pristine.
- Feels like you’ve stepped back in time.
- Great for long, long walks on the beach.
- Nearby lookout.
Cons.
- Not patrolled.
- Steep descent to beach.
9. 10 Mile Beach.
Bundjalung National Park.
On the other side of Evans Head is the town’s second national park, Bundjalung. Located between the township and the stunning village of Iluka near Yamba, the beach inside this breathtaking wilderness area is not as easy to get to as the others on this post as its public access point involves driving for over half an hour through the towns of Broadwater and Woodburn to reach. However, it’s such a beautiful place to visit that I couldn’t leave this one off the list.
The Black Rocks Campground is the gateway to the magnificent 10 Mile Beach, which is a fantastic spot to enjoy a secluded walk along the pristine coastline, thanks to its white sand dunes, contrasting black, coffee-coloured rocks and rugged sand cliffs. The area just in front of the campground is a gorgeous place. But that’s not the only way to enjoy this stunning stretch of shoreline.
The Jerusalem Creek Trail is a 10.3km return trail along the quaint creek of the same name, offering lovely views of the serene waterway. When you get to the end, where a sand bar blocks the water from entering the sea, you can either choose to return the way you came or make a circuit out of it by following the beach back to the Black Rocks Campground, where even more spectacular coffee rock formations are waiting to be discovered. Alternatively, you can make an overnight hike or kayak out of it at the Jerusalem Creek Campground.
That’s because, in addition to this section of Bundjalung National Park having a fantastic beach, the creek is also a beautiful paddling trail, while the launching area for it is a phenomenal wild swimming hole, which are all reasons I am in love with this place for quick overnight nature escapes.
- Access: Conventional vehicle access to the Black Rocks Camping Area.
- Facilities: Campgrounds, picnic tables, bush toilets.
- Nearby Recommended Accommodation: Black Rocks Camping Area.
Pros.
- Stunning isolated beach.
- Beautiful coffee-coloured rocks.
- Great place for long walks.
- Stunning wild swimming hole.
- Tranquil kayaking route.
- Fantastic camping ground.
- Good chances of seeing wildlife. I saw kangaroos, birds of prey and many small, colourful birds.
Cons.
- Long distance to reach.
- Not patrolled.
- Grafittied rocks near campground. 🙁
Evans Head Beaches Map.
Conclusion: Best Beaches In Evans Head.
Evans Head beaches are nothing short of spectacular. From lifeguard-patrolled ocean-facing beaches with favourable surfing conditions to small riverside beaches for families with young kids and several magnificent untamed beaches for those who love exploring pristine coastal landscapes, this small town in the Northern Rivers of New South Wales has it all.
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